s.morra wrote:

I was holding a 6 foot long piece of rebar (about 1/2" diameter steel rod, ...

Do you want a answer? But I might be wrong!

If you put the hot bar into water, the water helps to transport the heat
to the other end. Iron isn't such a good thermal conductor.
Everyone welding knows how long you can hold a piece of steel in your
hands just welded.


Now this, is, ... well, I don't know! Just guessing:
Also, it might be interesting to have a curve that shows thermal
conductivity vs. temperature of steel. Does it degrease with
temperature? There might be a "hidden secret", together with the water's
thermal conductivity.


Nick
--
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